Detailed information about the Income Test can be found on the Centrelink website

Centrelink will assess your income from all sources. Some examples of income are; wages, superannuation, bank interest, profits, gifts and allowances.

If your income comes from financial investments Centrelink have a set of rules called Deeming. Deeming assumes that financial investments are earning a certain rate of income, regardless of the amount of income they’re actually earning. If Aged Pensioners earn more than these rates, the extra income isn’t assessed.

The value of assets you own can affect your eligibility for Age Pension or how much Pension you can get. Assets include real estate, financial and superannuation investments, business assets etc. There are also a number of Assets which are excluded from this assessment which includes your principal home.
For more information about assets, exemptions and the current limits go to the Department of Human Services website

There are different rates of Age Pension payments for single people and couples. There are also different rates for some people who were getting a pension in 2009.
For more information about payment rates go to the Department of Human Services website

If you are not eligable for a payment or benefit and are in severe financial hardship you can contact Centrelink Financial Information Services on 132 300 to discuss making an application under the “ Asset Hardship Provisions”.